Shakespeare presents the theme of ambition in Macbeth. Ambition is a strong desire to do or achieve something, ambition can also be presented in a positive and negative way. Shakespeare presents ambition in a negative way through some characters who are Macbeth, Lady Macbeth and King Duncan. The reason these characters present ambition in a negative way is because they end up dying. Ambition is also present in a positive way through some characters who are Macduff, Witches and Malcolm these are the characters who survive in the play showing that you can be ambitious but not too ambitious.
When ambition is overlooked, it has the ability to become extremely dangerous. Macbeth from Shakespeare is a clear example of this. As he rises to power, he becomes more and more of a threat to those around him, killing those he was once loyal to. Destruction when ambition goes unchecked is present throughout the play because of Macbeth’s strong desires that ultimately lead to the deaths of Duncan, Banquo, and nearly Macduff.
Greed for power has always been evil and even made a saint turn into a demon. As the quote goes “All power tends to corrupt and an absolute power corrupts absolutely” (unquote), which is true not only in the fictitious stories but also in real life and Shakespeare, th9e greatest writer ever known, has always been in habit of making fictitious character come alive and Macbeth is no exception to the rule. The character of Macbeth has two sides, one which is wholesome while other been dubious. He symbolized great ambition but went overboard and in the process not only became corrupt but also became a killer. Macbeth reflects great strength but within he has his own weakness and thus good over took evil resulting in its downfall and finally his own death. His wife, Lady Macbeth, was the most influential person as far as Macbeth was concerned and any decision of his would have trademark of his wife, Lady Macbeth. The greed of Macbeth for more power led him to commit monstrous acts however
Macbeth is the Shakespearean play that features the triumphant uprise and the inevitable downfall of its main character. In this play, Macbeth’s downfall can be considered to be the loss of his moral integrity and this is achieved by ambition, despite this, Lady Macbeth and the witches work through his ambition, furthering to assist his inevitable ruin. Ambition alone is the most significant factor that led to Macbeth’s downfall. The witches are only able to influence his actions through Macbeth’s pre-existing and the three witches see that Macbeth has ambition and uses it to control his action.
Through the tragic play Macbeth, William Shakespeare depicts that unchecked ambition unsupported with effort will lead to nothing but detrimental outcomes. More specifically, Macbeth's “vaulting ambition which o'erleaps itself” ended up being a larger hinderance than advantage, single handedly leading to the demise of himself and the demise of others around him.
Helen Keller once said “character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.” People inspired by ambition can accomplish great things. However, when tempted by their desires, people can destroy themselves as well. These desires can simply be too much for any one person or two to overcome. In William Shakespeare’s dramatic tragedy ‘Macbeth’, ambition is portrayed throughout and Macbeth, a Scottish Noblemen is overcome by his desires. His downfall and destruction was caused by his blind ambition leading to his fatal flaw.
Ambition has a major role in the play Macbeth. One of the main things for a character such as Macbeth. Ambition lead him to commit the murder of Duncan, and losing Everything he had. In the beginning of the play Macbeth celebrated as he was brave soldier as he rewarded. He becomes the thane of Coward, as predicted by the three witches. Since Macbeth has got his prophecies of getting all the power, which that lead him a striving man. The three witches (the weird sisters) had gave him the prophecies which turned Macbeth into a single- minded and ruthless man. An encounter with the three witches’ changes everything to Macbeth, Macbeth premonition said “shalt be king hereafter,” (Shakespeare 1.4 22-24) Which triggers ambition and murderous consequences. Which saying everything will come
Often times in literature, the downfall of a character arises due to both external and internal forces. In Macbeth, William Shakespeare demonstrates that the downfall of Macbeth arises due to both internal and external forces, but among the two, internal forces have a greater influence on the outcome. The forces of Macbeth’s own nature, the supernatural and Lady Macbeth all contribute to his downfall but the true deciding factors are the forces within.
In William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth it talks about a hero coming back from a viscous battle, from a group of rebels trying to take over the castle that the king’s lives in. After the hero comes back from a bloody battle he encounters three witches that tell him that he will have three titles one in the past thane of Glamis, one in the present thane of Cawdor, and one in the future king. After the witches tell Macbeth about the prophecy he gets the idea of wanting to be the new king and feels that Duncan should isn’t fit to be the king. After Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have a brief argument on wither Macbeth should kill Duncan. They finally come to a conclusion that they should and they form a plan to kill him. After the king is killed by Macbeth he feels regret, but the person most responsible for king Duncan’s death is Macbeth.
Ambition is a strong source of hope and strive for many people, and this ambition can lead to both good and bad results. In The Tragedy of Macbeth, William Shakespeare shows how the main character, Macbeth, and his strong ambitions can be led astray by outside forces as well as his own feelings for greatness. In the play, Macbeth is a strong warrior that is respected by all, but throughout the play, he is influenced by the evil around him and ultimately turns into an ambitious monster that craves power as well as the throne. Through his ambitions, Macbeth turns corrupt and slowly becomes so evil that even his guilt feeds his ambitions. Ambition can be a good sense of strive, but when influenced and supported by the wrong people, it can also be used as a
Macbeth’s greatest weakness is his ambition, but it is also his greatest strength. Despite his ambition being one of his major weaknesses, it is not his sole weakness he exhibits that contributes to his inevitable death. At the beginning of William Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ the protagonist Macbeth is described as ‘brave’, ‘noble’ and ‘honourable’, however Lady Macbeth’s and Macbeths desire for power consumes them. Macbeth’s ambition overrides his conscience and transformed his greatest strength into his greatest weakness. Macbeth’s inability to resist temptations that led him to be greedy for power, Macbeth’s easily manipulative nature which allowed his mind to be swayed, Macbeth having no self control and his excessive pride was what allowed him to renew his previously honourable and celebrated title into one of an evil ‘tyrant’.
In context, this exchange between two of Macbeth's noblest characters is merely expressing the reciprications between favor and reward. In a broader sense, however, the quote resonates with this Biblical principle: "A man reaps what he sows" (Galatians 6:7b). Noblemen such as Siward, Macduff, and Malcolm pursued justice and righteousness for the throne, and their suffering and conquest were rewarded with Macbeth's death and hope for prosperity in Scotland once again. Macbeth's
Hamartia is a tragic hero’s flaw that will eventually lead to his demise. In the play, Macbeth, Macbeth’s Hamartia is evidently his ambition. “The eye wink at the hand! yet let that be, Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see.”(1.4.59-60) evinces Macbeth’s dangerous ambition because he wishes to kill Duncan to become King of Scotland, yet Duncan made him a Thane, and also gave him words of praise. When Macbeth kills Duncan, it also begins his moral descent into darkness, as he is willing to do anything in order to continue being the ruler of Scotland “Now if you have a station in the file, Not in the worst rank of manhood, say it, And I will put that business in your bosoms Whose execution takes your enemy off.”
That tragic flaw is his ambition to be king. He wants to be king so badly that he will murder if that is what it takes. Macbeth allows Lady Macbeth to manipulate him into killing Duncan and his desires are so strong that he acts on them. He gets extremely guilty and starts to hallucinate voices, people and objects. “I 'll go no more. I am afraid to think what I have done; Look on 't again I dare not.” (Act II, sc ii, Lines 48-50). Macbeth is getting extremely paranoid and feels bad killing Duncan. Macbeths ambitions caused him to murder Duncan, but he also had Banquo murdered, and wanted to murder Banquo 's son, Fleance. Macbeth wants Banquo killed because he saw him as a threat; however, Banquo had been Macbeth 's friend and thought he could trust him. "Fail not our feast"(Act III, sc i, Line 27). This shows irony because Banquo had trusted Macbeth, not knowing what Macbeth was planning for him. Macbeth wanted Banquo to come to a feast, only to actually have him murdered. Macbeth 's ambitions to become king had been so high that he had murderers murder his close friend. If Macbeth was not so ambitious and power hungry he would not have killed his friend and king, Macbeth had been a nobleman and had the trust of all the people he murdered. He let his ambitions take control of his actions.
In conclusion, although some believe that Macbeth is aware of what he is doing for himself Macbeth is a tragic hero. In Shakespeare 's Macbeth he holds high praise of being Thane of Glamis and Cawdor, knows of his flaw and after putting himself in a situation he fought to the end of his own death. By Aristotle 's characteristics guide of a tragic hero and how Macbeth responses to his flaw is what makes Macbeth a tragic hero instead of an